"All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope." ~ Winston Churchill

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Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Saving Energy

I've decided to take some advice that my late husband gave me about a year before his death. "Don't worry too much about it," Pete once said to me, after I finished a rant about the possibility of Hillary Clinton becoming president.

Wise words. I don't worry as much as I used to about Clinton Part II. Of course, I've had much more pressing worries over the past two-plus years. Perhaps that has given me a certain perspective that previously eluded me. But really, whoever thought that we'd see the day when Hillary might be the lesser evil? Yet, here it is.

I'm going to try to take a Zen approach to the election. I want to find my "chi" and just go with the flow instead of fighting my way upstream. Regardless of who wins the White House, the sky will not fall. We've survived eight years of George W. Bush and his open house border policy. No Democrat is going to finish building the fence, so that will remain status quo. I can save some energy with that realization.

Replacing Supreme Court justices is like playing Vegas. Reagan appointed Sandra Day O'Connor, and Bush (41) appointed David Souter. Both of those justices turned out to be full of surprises in their decisions, so I've decided to eschew excessive handwringing over the Court. More energy conserved on that one.

In the event of another terrorist attack on American soil, the force of public reaction alone would render it impossible for whoever is president to take no action in response. After the economic fallout is factored in, we'd probably have too much action being taken. There's nothing like a stock market crash to knock the allure out of diplomacy. ("Change? Yes we can! Tomahawk incoming!")

Government-sponsored health care? President Whoever will have at least half the country furious about the way it's being handled, no matter what he-or-she does. So I've decided not to stress over that one, either. A few more personal watts saved.

My bottom line is, the choices for the next chief executive are appalling. A cranky septagenarian who views Mexico as the 51st state, a pompous empty suit with a Marxist wife, and a screeching know-it-all with enough baggage to sink the Titanic all over again. No matter who wins, we're all going to need our energy just to survive the next four years.

About Me

My kids, daughter Kristine, son Matt, daughter-in-law Nicole, son-in-law Joe, grandsons Nico and Hunter and granddaughters Aubrey and Aleena are the best gifts in my life. My family, friends, and dog, Riga, round out my blessings.
In 2003, I published a book,
Working Over Time. A free preview is at www.authorhouse.com, also at www.amazon.com.